Whilst I am still making my way through watching A Stoker,Academia Rossica is proud to announce details of its 7th London Russian Film Festival, hosted for the first time in partnership with the Empire Cinema, Leicester Square.

The London Russian Film Festival will again bring together the very best in contemporary Russian cinema, with crime thrillers, domestic dramas and animation, all featuring alongside an excellent documentary programme.

7th Russian Film Festival

The Festival brings together award-winning directors, producers, actors and actresses to present their work to a London audience. Through intense dramas, sparkling comedies and powerful documentaries, the Festival is a showcase of contemporary Russia. All films will be shown in Russian with English subtitles.

Opening this year’s film festival will be Taisia Igumentseva’s debut feature film, Bite the Dust, an apocalyptic black comedy from the 2012 recipient of the Cinéfondation First Prize. An exploration of man’s apocalyptic obsession and the power of inhibition, this film follows the life of a tiny village living in the end times.

Video: Bite The Dust Trailer

Bite the Dust
A village so small, that all the residents not only know each other, but can easily recognize the face of the neighbour's cow on TV. The tight-knit community is shaken by the news that an astronomical phenomenon is about to wipe out 90% of humanity. The villagers have 24 hours to come to terms with the apocalypse and they choose to do it in a characteristically Russian elaborate manner. Tables are put together, pies are baked, and residents gather strength and courage to make the most important decisions of their lives... This apocalyptic comedy celebrates the joys and sadness of everyday moments of our lives.

Taisia Igumentseva is one of the brightest stars in contemporary Russian cinema, yet a typical representative of the youngest generation of Russian film-makers. A former student of internationally acclaimed film director Alexey Uchitel (The Stroll, The Edge, Break Loose), Taisia won the Cannes Festival Cinéfondation 2011 First Prize and received a grant for her first full-length feature – Bite the Dust.

With many of these films having already received numerous awards at other international film festivals, this year’s festival will offer British audiences the chance to see some of the best in international cinema for the very first time.

7th LONDON RUSSIAN FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

IN COMPETITIONOpening Film: Bite the Dust / Отдать концы
A village so small that all the residents not only know each other, but can easily recognize the face of the neighbour's cow on TV. The tight-knit community is shaken by the news that an astronomical phenomenon is about to wipe out 90% of humanity. The villagers have 24 hours to come to terms with the apocalypse and they choose to do it in a characteristically Russian manner. Tables are put together, pies are baked, and residents gather strength and courage to make the most important decisions of their lives.Russia, 2013Comedy, 90 minDirector: Taisia IgumentsevaThe Sky under the Heart / Небо под сердцем
The unique concert film ‘The Sky Under the Heart’ is dedicated to DDT’s new tour ‘Otherwise’ (Inache). The film is made up of two parts: Footage of the band’s performance on the 9th of October at the Sports Complex Olympic, and behind-the-scenes footage from the album and concert tour.Russia, 2012Documentary, 87 minDirector: Viktoria KaskovaThe Geographer Drank his Globe Away / Географ глобус пропил
Veledinsky's twistedly funny The Geographer Drank His Globe Away follows hapless biologist, Viktor Sluzhkin, as he tries his luck as a geography teacher in a provincial school. Armed with a best friend, an unhappy marriage and copious amounts of alcohol, Viktor struggles on in the face of an unruly class and maps that refuse to be read. And as if that wasn't enough, Viktor suddenly discovers love in the most unexpected of places...

Video: The Geographer Drank his Globe Away Trailer

Russia, 2013, 120 minComedy/DramaBased on the novel by Aleksei IvanovDirector: Aleksander VeledinskyCitizen Poet. Run of the Year/Гражданин поэт. Прогон года
“Citizen Poet. Run of the Year” looks back at the satirical brainchild of Dmitrii Bykov, Mikhail Efremov and Andrei Vasiliev. The film looks behind the scenes at 'Citizen Poet' and its creators at work, whilst also widening its focus to reflect on one of the most politically tumultuous years in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.Russia, 2012Documentary, 110 minDirector: Vera KrichevskayaShame/Стыд
In a crumbling military base in the far north of Russia, a community of women patiently await the return of their husbands, serving aboard a submarine. Although bound together in this life of uncertainty and expectation, the women of this community lead very different lives, with the film's central character, Lena, living at an icy remove from the other wives. As Lena's own story of doubt and infidelity unfolds, so too do whispers of disaster begin to reach the surface.

Video: Shame Trailer

Russia, 2013, 90 minDramaDirector: Yusup RazykovWinter Journey/Зимний Путь
Music student and gifted singer, Erik, is preparing to sing Schubert's Winterreise for a competition. As his teacher slams him for his poor performance, Erik's life is changed irrevocably by a chance meeting with Lyokha, a coarse and aggressive petty criminal. Set in the three days leading up to the competition, Winter Journey is a raw and evocative portrayal of alienation and transgression.

Video: Winter Journey Trailer

Russia, 2013, 90 minDramaDirector: Sergei Taramaev, Lubov LvovaIvan Son of Amir/Иван сын Амира
Set during the Second World War, Ivan Son of Amir tells the story of Maria, who is forced to flee Sevastapol with her young children. When she arrives in Uzbekistan, she is taken in by Amir and his wives. With Maria's husband missing in action and presumed dead, Maria marries the man who gave her family shelter. But as the War ends, Maria's present is brought face to face with the spectre of the past.

Video: Ivan Son of Amir Trailer

Russia, 2013, 116 minDramaDirector: Maksim PanfilovMirrors/Зеркала
Migunova's biopic Mirrors depicts the life of Marina Tsvetaeva, one of the most famous and tragic Russian poets of the 20th century. Mirrors follows her life in Russia, her time abroad Prague and Paris, and her return to Russia. Culminating in Tsvetaeva’s suicide in 1941, this film charts the tragic trajectory of a life filled with love, loss, and betrayal.Russia, 2013, 130 minBiopic/DramaDirector: Marina MigunovaPipeline/Труба
Pipeline, the latest documentary from acclaimed director Vitaly Mansky, follows the course of the Trans-Siberian gas pipeline through Russia and into Europe. As the camera travels the length of the pipeline, the viewer is given access to the lives and landscapes of which the pipeline is a central part. While the pipeline may be a prominent symbol of Russia's resurgence, the lives captured in Pipeline show that for many, little has changed.

Video: Pipeline Trailer

Russia, Germany, Chechnya, 2013, 116 minDocumentaryDirector: Vitaly ManskyIntimate Parts / Интимные Места
The first fruits of directing duo Natasha Merkulova and Aleksei Chupov, Intimate Parts is an exploration of middle class secrets and attitudes to sex. Through a series of interlinking plot lines, all revolving around the central figure of Ivan, a photographer with a passion for freedom, this film confronts our fear of being who we really are.

DOCUMENTARIES:Graffiti / ГРАФФИТИ
A small town shopkeeper unwittingly takes on the local church when she commissions a local artist to spruce up her wall with a fresco of Christ and the Sistine Madonna.Russia, 2012Documentary, 24 minDirector: Valerii OtstavnykhRoute 31 / 31 РЕЙС
A village lies stranded in the Kamchatka Peninsula, surrounded by impassable swamps and mountains. Cut off from the outside world, the inhabitants rely on the regular arrival of all-terrain vehicles, loaded with supplies. This film follows two drivers making this habitually absurd journey.Russia, 2011Documentary, 57 minDirector: Denis KlebleevMarch, March With Your Left! / МАРШ МАРШ ЛЕВОЙ
Filmed during the tumultuous events of 2012 in Moscow, March, March With Your Left covers the life of opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov during his rallies, imprisonment and hunger strike.

Russia, 2012Documentary, 60 minDirector: Evgeniia Montana Ibanes

FESTIVAL CLOSING NIGHT FILM: The Girl and Death/Девушка и смерть
Jos Stelling's The Girl and Death follows Nikolai, a Russian physician, as he revisits the hotel where he met the love of his life, half a century before. As Nikolai relives their brief tryst, a story unfolds of a love thwarted by the cares of this world. Meanwhile Nikolai's reasons for returning become increasingly clear.

Alongside these film screenings, the Film Festival will also offer audiences the opportunity to participate in masterclasses and Q&As with leading actors and directors, as the Festival’s seeks to foster intercultural dialogue between British and Russian artists and audiences. Films will be presented by the guests of the Festival – the world-renowned directors, actors and producers, with guests including Taisia Igumentseva, Sergei Abroskin, Chulpan Khamatova, Dina Korzun, Alexander Veledinsky, Vera Krichevskaya, Yusup Razykov, Sergei Tamaraev and Lubov Lvova, Marina Migunova, Vitaly Mansky, Yury Bykov and Ingeborga Dapkunaite, all joining us for Q&As, discussions, and master classes.

7th London Russian Film FestivalWhen:
7-17 November 2013

Where:
Empire Cinema, Leicester Square and other venues

For more info and the full 7th London Russian Film Festival programme head over to:www.russianfilms.org

The Establishing Shot: THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING! WELL THE 7TH RUSSIAN FILM FESTIVAL IS COMING TO LONDON 7 - 17 NOVEMBER 2013 - FILM FESTIVAL

Craig is a retired superhero, an obsessive hobbyist, comics fan, gadget lover & flâneur who knows an unhealthy amount about Ian Fleming's James Bond.When not watching or making films he takes pictures, eats, drinks, dives, mentally storyboards the greatest film ever made & sometimes utilises owl-themed gadgets to fight crime. A list of his 133 favourite films can be found here! If you would still like to contact Craig please use any of the buttons below: